[Propertalk] The cat, and prayer

[Joe Parrish]

There is an old story of a monk who was bothered by mice playing around him when he prayed. To stop it, he got a cat and kept it in his prayer room so the mice would be scared away. But he never explained to his disciples why he had the cat. So, one day, the monk walked down the corridors of the monastery and noticed that each of his disciples had a cat in their prayer room. After seeing the monk with a cat, they thought having a cat was the secret to powerful praying.

I believe this is a parable for many Christians today. Many believe they have to do something special in order for God to hear them and have their prayers answered. So, you will often see folks running here and there to learn the latest prayer gimmick from self-proclaimed spiritual gurus.

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The Rev. Dr. Charles Reeb is pastor of Pasadena Community Church (United Methodist) in St. Petersburg, Florida.

http://day1.org/956-i_wonder_why_my_prayers_go_unanswered


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